Etsy Christmas Finds

Love these Christmas inspired crafts at Etsy!

Oh, I just adore this darling reindeer! He is being guided by his sparkling bright red nose (or ruby red rhinestone, whatever you want to call it!). Stamped on a handpunched tag, hand aged all the way around for a vintage look in rich espresso inks, and generously strung with bakers twine.

 

This cute Christmas tree pillow is green felt with colorful red, blue, orange, pink, and yellow green felt circles. The pillow is approximately 14 in. x 13 in. 

The stockings are made from recycled sweaters. How cool is that? They are fully lined and feature a cute vintage button hanging loop. This set includes personalization on all three stockings. The artist is willing to create a custom depending on your color preferences stocking for no additional fee.

Kids Christmas Card Craft

Nothing makes a mom happier than kids busy making a crafty Christmas card for Grandma!

And best yet, the instructions are simple and kids can have fun adding their own special flair:

1. Cut Christmas Santa-hat shapes (minus the pom-poms and white trim) from the craft paper, then glue one onto each card. Glue a pair of googly eyes a fingertip's width below each hat.
   
2. Pour white tempera paint onto a paper plate
3. Add a dollop each of red, black, and pink (mix some red and white) onto another plate. 
4. Stamp white hand-print beards
5. Use fingertips to stamp the trim on the hats, and a nose, mouth, and cheeks on each face.
   

Top 10 Gifts for Kids of All Time (Part 2)

And as a mother of 3 boisterous boys, I am always looking for toys that capture their imaginations long enough for me to catch my breath.

So the best boy toys and Christmas gifts that we've found include:

1) Build It Kits. Any toy that requires manual labor is a household favorite.  The more parts, the more detail the better for older boys.  Younger tots can master simple glue and painting of building their own rocket ship.
2) Piggy Banks.  Young Rockefellers will learn the value of a penny earned is a penny saved.  A cheerful, ceramic piggy bank starts a life long habit of savvy saving.
3) Collection Box.  If you discover snails, plastic toy soldiers, marbles, baseball cards, rubber bands, decks of cards hidden away in pockets and drawers, you are NOT alone.  Give them their own secret collection box, personalized for only him and safe from prying eyes and rubber band thieves.
4) Fishing Pole.  Or anything that encourages the Great Outdoors.  Fishing with dad is a timeless activity. 
5) A Musical Instrument.  Channel that non stop energy into creating music. Seriously, whether a wood drum or a banjo, music is food for the soul.

Merry Christmas and happy gift buying!

Top 10 Gifts for Kids of All Time (Part 1)

We always get asked what we think are the best toys for kids.  Of course, the team at the Warm Biscuit Bedding Co is obsessed with discovering low tech, hand made and long interest toys.  So here are our favorites:

Best Christmas Gifts for girls:

1) A Diary.  How much did you treasure your diary?  I wrote passionately into it--my heartaches, discoveries and loves all were captured and kept under lock and key.  Your little girl can fall in love with her journal, too.
2) A Jewelry Box.  Complete with a beautiful, twirling ballerina.  Hide trinkets and treasures away in secret compartments.  A little mirror for a little princess in the making is a must!
3) A Tiny Teaset. A tisket, A tasket, carry your tea party is a basket! Every little girl fancies herself at the table with the queen.  Playing tea party is a right of passage for most princess' in the making.
4) Classic Paper Dolls. Learning to plan the perfect outfit is a well learned life skill.  Start her love of fashion off as we did with a classic set of interchangeable paperdolls.
5) Baby Doll Cradle.  OK. After dolly, her cradle is her favorite place to tuck away.  Handmade cradles that grandpa's used to make are a true find and this classic wood cradle is perfect for dolly.

T'was (only a few weeks) before Christmas

The Christmas stockings are hung, the tree's not up, yet Santa lists are made! (still to be purchased and mailed).  And now, my annual, Christmas Card photo panic sets in.

What creative photo session can I wrangle my 3 (naughty, but nice) elves into participating?  Sigh. Looking back over the years, the baby and newborn sessions were a snap.  Simply, dress them up in Holiday pajamas, give them a candy cane and SNAP!  Instant holiday happiness crystallizes.

My now, super savvy, too-cool-for-Yule boys reluctantly participate in this annual tradition and assure me they are not willing to compromise their personalities. This year, holiday "man" poses have to reveal mui, macho energy.

HELP! 

What timeless tricks can I pull out of my Santa hat?  Maybe, I'll bribe them with warm mugs of holiday cheer (hot chocolate) and blare Bruno Mars tunes.  What do you do?????????

Thanksgiving Family Craft

Love this! Important to remember that Thanksgiving is about being thankful (and eating pumpkin pie, of course!) and this garland helps the whole family get into the spirit. A string of leaves lets the whole family and your dinner guests to write what they are thankful for. What a great idea.

What you’ll need:

• Construction paper: yellow, orange, red, green and brown
• Black marker
• Scissors
• 48” of yarn
• Miniature clothespins

How to make it:

1. Cut out simple leaf shapes from construction paper.
2. Have all dinner guests write things they are thankful for on a leaf.
3. Hang a piece of yarn on the wall of from the fireplace mantel.
4. Attach each leaf to the garland using a miniature clothespin.

If you don’t have miniature clothespins, you can also use regular clothespins, paper clips or even tape to adhere the leaves to the yarn. It would be great to start a new tradition by having everyone write their name and the year on the back of their “giving thanks” leaf and then each person can add to the same garland every Thanksgiving.  The yarn can be extended (if necessary) or new garlands started. Over time, the garland(s) could become a cherished Thanksgiving scrap book of sorts.

Hope this inspires a new tradition!

Thanksgiving Kids Craft

Why have a boring bread basket this year when you can have a bright and colorful turkey bread basket? This project lets your child help you decorate for Thanksgiving. A super fun craft from familyfun.com:

Instructions

1. The Turkey's Body:
   Trim the bag so that it measures about 8 inches tall. Then fold down the sides so that they are half the height and double the thickness. Cut the cardboard to fit in the bottom of the bag and insert it. Next, fold a paper plate in half and fit it inside the bag where the tail will go, bending the sides as needed.
   
2. Staple the plate in place. Then staple a second plate (don't fold this one) to the outside of the bag behind the first plate. For wings, fold 2 paper plates in half and staple one to each side so the bag is sandwiched between it.
   
3. For the turkey's head, fold and staple another paper plate, as illustrated. Decorate all the paper plates, including the head, by gluing on torn bits of colored paper. Then add a balloon wattle and googly eyes.
   
4. The Feathers:
   Have your kids glue colored paper shapes on paper plates, layering different prints or creating bold patterns if they like.
   
5. When the glue is dry, cut feather shapes out of the plates and stick a craft clothespin to the back of each with tacky glue so your child can attach the feathers to the paper plates. For an extra-fancy finish, they can add decorative notions or even their names.
   
   Enjoy!